Revolving canister



No. 618,2l9. Patented lan. 24, |899. C. C. BELL.

BEVLVING CANISTER.

(Apphcatxon filed Feb 23 189B) (No Mndel NrTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE C. BELL, 'OF MARIETTA, OIIIO.

REVOLVING CANISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,219, dated January 24, 1899. Application led February 23, 1898. Serial No. 671,292. (Noniodel.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CLARENCE C. BELL, residing at Marietta, in the county of IVashington and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Revolving Canister, of which I the following is a specification.

My invention relates t0 improvements in store furniture; and it more particularly refers to revolving show-cases or canisters adapted to hold various articles, such as different spices, arranged to be drawn off therefrom at the bottom in given quantities; and such invention primarily has for its obj ect to provide a canister of this character of a very simple and inexpensive construction with a neat and ornamental appearance and which can be easily manipulated.

My invention also seeks to provide a canister of this kind having a simple and novel form of cut-off or measuring devices whereby a given quantity of the contents of any one of the compartments can be quickly drawn off.

The invention consists in such novel features of construction and combination of parts as will be rst described in detail, and then specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved canister. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section thereof. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the metal blocks forming a part of the canisterbody. Fig. 5 is a view illustrating in detail the cut-off or measuring devices, and Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the cut-off devices and the discharge-tube in which they operate.

In the practical construction of myimprovement the same consists of a base or foundation casting 1, of suitable ornamental shape, the upper end of which terminates in a ballcap 1 and has a threaded socket 1b to receive the threaded shank 2 of the supporting-post 2, the upper end of which terminates in a reduced threaded extension to receive the holding-nut 3, which secures the canister-holding tube a in place.

The tubular revolving support -I is adapted to iit freely on the post l and has its lower end provided with a cup 4, which,with the cup l of the base,forms a race for the bearing-balls 5.

The body of the canister is preferably made up of sheet metal and of polygonal shape in horizontal section. For this purpose the body is made up of four blocks of tin or other sheet metal 6, of suitable dimensions. Each lblock 6 is divided into the three panels 6a and has its ends 6b bent into laps 6C, so as to provide for the solid bearing of the meeting ends of two adjacent sections and also form a more complete soldering-surface when it is desired to join the said ends by solder. ferred size each block is sixteen by twenty inches and is so divided into three parts, after allowing one or one-half inch on each side, to provide a panel substantially four inches Wide for each compartment of the canister. The upper and lower ends of each block 6 are bent to form top and bottom sections, and these are cut at each bend or division of the block (leaving about one-eighth of an inch at each side for the crease) so that when bending the divisions of the several blocks to form the polygonal-shaped bodyV the creased edges 6e of the top and bottom members will join more reliably than if the said edges were trimmed off straight. The bottom and top portions of the several sections 6 have apertures 7 and S, the upper ones having suitable adjustable covers 7 ,while the lower one opens into the delivery-mouth of the funnel members hereinafter referred to.

By using four sections constructed as described twelve panels are produced which form the front of twelve compartments 9, which are separated by division-plates 10, the inner ends of which are riveted to the vertical ribs 4t@ on the tubular support t, said ribs having inout portions 4d for the inner edges of the top and bottoms 6d of the sections 6.

To provide a simple and inexpensive means for securing the division-plates 10, their upper and lower ends are cut and turned over in opposite directions, as at 10, and soldered to the upper and lower ends of the portions 6, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

So far as described it will be readily seen that by constructing the canister-body in the In the premanner shown a very simple and inexpensive structure is produced, the several parts of which can be quickly assembled, it being manifest that the central tubular support Will freely rotate on the post 1.

Each compartment discharges into a funnel-shaped chamber 12, the contracted mouth 12a of which empties into a measuringpocket 13.

To provide for discharging a given quantity, each cham ber 12 has its pocket 13 formed with adjustable measuring and cut-off devices, the construction of which is best illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, by reference to which it will be seen a supplemental receiver is held in the pockets 13, the upper end of which has a funnel-mouth 12, while the lower or tubular portion comprises a iixed member 12b, semicircular in horizontal section nearly its full length, and a movable semicircnlar member 13, which When moved to its closed position forms a part of the tubular portion of the receiver, such member 13n having apertured flanges engaging dowels projected from the portion 12b, as clearly shown in Fig. 6.

16 indicates a vertically-adjustable gage or cut-Off movable within the member l2". This cut-olf serves as a bottom for the tubular portion of the receiver when the two sections 12b and 13 are closed together, and to provide for quickly adjusting such cut-off at any point desired the same has a guide-rod extending through vertical slots 15 in the pocket 13 and member 12b and is provided with a knob 16 and with spring devices for holding such knob in a frictional contact with the pocket 13 at any point desired, the pocket having a suitable scale 21, as shown in Fig. 2.

So far as described it will be readily seen that by adjusting the cut-olf 16 the quantity to be let into the pocket 13 can be quickly determined. To provide for a free discharge of such measured quantity and for cutting off the feed from the pocket during such discharge, a double-acting shifting-lever mechanism is used, which consists of the lever 18, fulcrumed on the bracket 17 and held pressed to move to its outward position, as indicated in full lines in Fig. 5, by the spring 20.

The lever 1S has a plunger-rod 13b pivotally connected thereto, which is also connected to the slide member 13a, and its upper end is connected to a cut-off valve 19, which carries an agitator 19 to avoid clogging at the contracted or neck portion of the receiver.

By providing shifting-lever mechanism, as shown and described, moving the lever 1S upwardly by hand-pressure, to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, will close the member 13rt against the part 12b and during such operation open the valve 19 to permit a free discharge of material into the tubular section of the receiver having the cut-off 16 at its bottom, the correlation of the valve 19 and the member 13 and the lever devices in practice being such as to permit the member 13 closing against the member 121 before the outer edge of the valve 19 is pulled off its seat.

If desired, the handle 18 may be held pressed inward by a suitable detent 22, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5,) which when tripped will allow the valve 19 to close and the port 13 to open automatically.

To facilitate the discharge of the measured contents, the cut-o valve 16 has its upper face inclined.

By making the lever 13 operate automatically to its outward position, the valve 19 and port 13a will be shifted instantly, and thereby provide for a quick cut-off of the contents of the funnel end 12 and close it in advance of the opening of the part 13.

f I am aware that canisters having measuring cnt-offs have heretofore been provided; but so far as I know they have no special means to automatically move the cut-offs to discharge the measured contents or to positively cut oit one opening in advance of the other, and vice versa.

Having thus described myinvention, what l claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Arevolving canister 5 comprising abase, a post, a tubular support arranged to rotate on the post and provided with vertical ribs; the sheetmetal blocks having upper and lower bending portions and the radial division-plates 10, secured to the ribs of the tubular support and having lapping ends to engage the top and bottom portions of the blocks, substantially as described.

2. In a canister as described, the combination with the supporting-post and the tubular support held to rotate thereon, said` support having vertical ribs, of the sheetmetal blocks 6, having upper and lower iuwardly-bending portions, said portions having apertures, the division-plates 10, adapted to be secured to the tubular support having lap ends to engage the top and bottom members of the metal blocks 6, and discharge-funnels secured to the lower members of the section 6, all being arranged substantially as shown and described.

3. In a canister as described, the combination with the compartments having discharge-openings, of receiving-pockets, each having a vertical fixed portion and a vertically disposed movable portion, a bottom member vertically adjustable therein, a cutoff valve for closing the discharge-openin gs of the canister-compartment from the pocket, and a single lever mechanism common to the adjustable receiving-pocket member and the cut-off valve, hand-operated to one of its movements and automatically operated to its other movement, as specified.

4. The combination in a canister as de- IOC IIO

scribed, of a combined discharging and measuring mechanism comprising a pendent chamber,having a vertical receiving portion formed of a fixed and a sidewise movable portion, adapted when in its closed position to form, in connection with the ixed member, a receiving-pocket a bottom piece for such pocket vertically adjustable from Without the pendent chamber, a cut-off valve operating over 1o such receiving-pocket; a lever connected to such Valve and the adjustable pocket member; constructed substantially as shown, whereby t-o operate the said valve and adjustable pocket member reversely as and for the purposes specified.

CLARENCE c. BELL.

Vitnesses:

J. D. PAYNE, THOMAS EWART. 

